British Situation Comedy Series - The Provisional Results of My Review

[MickyD]

I worked on some of the direst 'comedy' series at LWT - the company that actually turned down 'The Good Life' and 'Fawlty Towers'.

[Nick Armstrong]

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brass_(TV_series)

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A favourite in these parts. The complete series is on t'shelf, I'll 'ave tha know, Bradley 'Ardacre

The majestic Caroline Blakiston as Lady Patience collapsing face-first into her dish of consommé a.k.a. neat gin is an enduring comic image...

[Once Was 4]

I might be with you, though I've never seen it. I'm very resistant to anything that tries to make me laugh

I think I'm the only person in the world who doesn't find Father Ted funny.....

And me! Call me Mr Prude but I find Mrs Brown's Boys something that can only be laughed at if you think that the 'F' word is funny. I used to watch Goodnight Sweetheart which I suppose is not necessarily a sitcom in the usual sense; I saw that it was being repeated on the Yesterday channel and watched about ten minutes before switching off and wondering what I ever saw in it. And am I the only one who is underwhelmed by the remake of Open All Hours?

But Brass - now you're talking. My favourite line was when Mr Hardaker was installing pithead baths because of the fact that his men were taking coal dust home on their bodies - "stealing I call it"; or when he was exhorting his men to attend the wedding of one of his relatives - "if you rush back at the end you will only lose half a day's pay!
Sorry, that one was a bit too close to real life!

[Stunsworth]

I always think of Brass as a filmed version of a Bill Tidy cartoon - Fosdyke Saga anyone?

[pastoralguy]

Much as I dislike the whole 'Mrs Brown's Boys' ethos I did think the 'live' edition was very good as the main character attempted to 'corpse' his cast!

[Padraig]

I realise now that I always got a good laugh from the antics of Alice Tinker. The epilogue of each episode was not to be missed. Very sad to read about Emma Chambers.

[teamsaint]

I actually did slip on a banana skin walking down Guildford High st. I thought it was funny as did my mate who was with me. ( His fault for, being a good conversationalist, and distracting me).

I don’t think it would have been funnier if I was fat though.( those who know me but haven’t seen me for 18 months may like to know that I have shed half a stone).

[gradus]

A favourite in these parts. The complete series is on t'shelf, I'll 'ave tha know, Bradley 'Ardacre

The majestic Caroline Blakiston as Lady Patience collapsing face-first into her dish of consommé a.k.a. neat gin is an enduring comic image...

'You're a saint in human form Mr 'ardacre' sticks in the mind. Truly wonderful and not so much underrated as forgotten.
Could I also put in a word for the utterly brilliant (and underrated) Early Doors imv the equal of the Royle Family, perhaps even better.

[Lat-Literal]

Thank you to everyone for your contributions.

I did review Brass. That is mentioned in one of my lists. Rather like A Bit of a Do and, indeed, The Love Boat, which I didn't mention in my American lists, it is all a bit docu-drama. And it isn't white rose. Sykes is not in one of my lists. I didn't forget it. I forgot to put it in one of my lists. It didn't make the Top 100 list on the grounds that I couldn't find any clips of it and from what I can recall it wouldn't quite have made it to Top 100 status. I can understand the appeal of him as he is not an insignificant person in comedy but he was never exactly my sort of thing. Still, the series did include the great Hattie Jacques who was so wonderful with Tony Hancock.

Ian Curtis was resistant to comedy. So too, no doubt, Penderecki. I would be inclined to feel staggered about a policy of being resistant to comedy but I know stand up comedians often don't do it for me. I am resistant to most of them. This is because they tend to feel contrived to me. I am going to be funny. Laugh. Then I will have two weeks at the O2 becoming a multi-millionaire. Anyhow, so much for Michael McIntyre. There are exceptions to this rule. The ones who are chaotic. They are not so much individuals who are performing as being their own situations. Situations work best in comedy, especially in situation comedy series. The latter when not formulaic are banana skins of the mind. It isn't the feet that slip. But I accept they may be best appreciated by a nervous disposition. Laughing is simply a form of shaking in reverse.

RIP Emma Chambers, 53 -

Footnote:

I think I'm the only person in the world who doesn't find Father Ted funny.....

And me! Call me Mr Prude but I find Mrs Brown's Boys something that can only be laughed at if you think that the 'F' word is funny. I used to watch Goodnight Sweetheart which I suppose is not necessarily a sitcom in the usual sense; I saw that it was being repeated on the Yesterday channel and watched about ten minutes before switching off and wondering what I ever saw in it. And am I the only one who is underwhelmed by the remake of Open All Hours?

But Brass - now you're talking. My favourite line was when Mr Hardaker was installing pithead baths because of the fact that his men were taking coal dust home on their bodies - "stealing I call it"; or when he was exhorting his men to attend the wedding of one of his relatives - "if you rush back at the end you will only lose half a day's pay!
Sorry, that one was a bit too close to real life!

We can be grateful for Mrs Brown's Boys for just one thing.

It has shown that the extent to which "individuals" use the f word is in direct correlation with the likelihood of tax avoidance.

[Bryn]

The first two series of Brass, on the Beeb, were brilliant. However, I feel it outlived its welcome with the third, on Channel 4. I Didn't Know You Cared never flagged for me.

[LMcD]

Wasn't 'Brass' made by Granada, with series 1 and 2 being broadcast on ITV?
I'm also a fan of 'I Didn't Know You Cared'.

[Lat-Literal]

Wasn't 'Brass' made by Granada, with series 1 and 2 being broadcast on ITV?
I'm also a fan of 'I Didn't Know You Cared'.

It was made by Granada, yes.

(I don't have anything against Lancashire really as I am only an honorary Yorkshireman)

Re "I Didn't Know You Cared" and "Early Doors" - I will look at these. Thanks for the suggestions.

I'm not sure that I mentioned "Sitting Pretty" which was John Sullivan's attempt to counter claims that he couldn't write three-dimensional women characters. It flopped but when you consider the female characters in his other shows the claims were absolutely ridiculous. I saw him as son of Galton and Simpson. Luckily they were not under those sorts of pressures.

We are losing too many female comedians and comedy writers too early. Linda Smith went at a young age. Carla Lane, Victoria Wood and Caroline Aherne all died in the same year!

[Beef Oven!]

It was made by Granada, yes.

(I don't have anything against Lancashire really as I am only an honorary Yorkshireman)

Re "I Didn't Know You Cared" and "Early Doors" - I will look at these. Thanks for the suggestions.

I'm not sure that I mentioned "Sitting Pretty" which was John Sullivan's attempt to counter claims that he couldn't write three-dimensional women characters. It flopped but when you consider the female characters in his other shows the claims were absolutely ridiculous. I see him as son of Galton and Simpson. Luckily they were not under those sorts of pressures.

Does Hector's House count?

[Lat-Literal]

Does Hector's House count?

Not as Lancastrian.

And I ruled out Crystal Tipps and Alistair on the grounds that Alistair was a dog rather than a person.

[Beef Oven!]

Not as Lancastrian.

And I ruled out Crystal Tipps and Alistair on the grounds that Alistair was a dog rather than a person.

Harsh